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SILVERADO – A fire fed by hot, dry weather lost steam Monday as lower temperatures gave firefighters the upper hand.

The fire at the Aguinaga Green Waste Inc. in Silverado Canyon was 80 percent contained after burning 50 acres by Monday evening, as authorities prepared to spend the next several days mopping up after the blaze.

In the midst of the second fire-danger warning in two weeks, firefighters threw numerous resources at the first sign of flames Sunday morning to make sure that the mulch fire didn’t spread to nearby brush.

More than 300 firefighters from multiple agencies battled the flames on the ground, while overhead two helicopters and two planes made drops of fire retardant through Sunday afternoon.

The dry heat made it rough for firefighters, with authorities initially fearing that the blaze could grow to 200 acres.

However, flames did not spread overnight or through Monday, but smoke continued to billow Monday from the green-waste facility.

By Monday afternoon, lower temperatures kept the fire from advancing, and fire officials began to cut the number of personnel and resources on the ground, Concialdi said.

Voluntary evacuations instituted at the peak of the fire were ended Monday, with the 21 residents cleared to return as of 6 p.m. Monday. Phone service was also restored to the area Monday, authorities said.

The number of fire personnel in the area will be scaled back overnight with the remaining crews focused on making sure the blaze doesn’t reignite or spread. The number of firefighters in the area will again increase Tuesday morning.

The cause of the fire was under investigation. One shed was damaged in the fire, and a firefighter was hospitalized with an ankle injury.

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